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Michele Bachmann poses challenge for GOP

The strategy seems to be to treat her like any other member of the House GOP Conference. |
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But she’s also quite a political freelancer.

To illustrate just how independently Bachmann operates, she did not provide the speech in advance to GOP leadership, two aides said. Rather, they got it when it was sent to reporters — they also had no idea CNN would carry it live. And illustrative of how much air she consumes, Bachmann’s name appeared in The New York Times on Wednesday as many times as Boehner’s.

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“There is a very brief amount of time that collectively, as Republicans, we had a statement to make,” Chaffetz said. “And Paul Ryan [was] our designee. I’m hopeful that Michele Bachmann actually agrees with Paul Ryan on his positions. I happen to agree with both of them. But I thought it was bad form to try to upend Paul Ryan during a time we are trying to focus on one cohesive message.” (see: Ryan to lay out conservative vision)

Conservatives, though, see Tuesday’s developments differently. South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, one of Bachmann’s conservative counterparts, said Bachmann’s effort was a “good complement to what Paul Ryan said.”

“They should encourage any member who wants to speak out on the issues to do it,” DeMint said of congressional leadership. “That’s what Americans expect of us. They don’t expect us to filter everything through our leadership.”

The hands-off approach to Bachmann reveals a lot about how House Republicans plan to operate under Boehner. The speaker is cognizant of the large cast of Republican characters, and that they need to stay in line. But Boehner doesn’t allow distractions to jam up his agenda. Those close to him say he simply doesn’t care about the sideshow aspect of politics that becomes the obsession of the D.C. chattering class. (see: Palin on Obama speech: 'WTF')

And the reality is that Bachmann’s actual message isn’t substantively different. In her speech, she echoed many of the same themes that GOP leaders push on a daily basis. And a collective sigh of relief was heard around Capitol Hill when Bachmann didn’t advocate a vote against the debt limit or slap around other leadership priorities.

Some simmering tensions remain between Bachmann’s allies and House leadership and their crew. Shortly after Republicans captured the majority in the House, the Minnesotan launched a campaign for Republican Conference chairwoman — only to drop out after Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and other top conservatives threw their weight behind Hensarling. (see: Cantor echoes Obama on jobs)

Boehner then appointed Bachmann to the intelligence committee to serve under his close ally, Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan. When she got the spot, Boehner had a face-to-face chat with her about the serious work the committee does, and the secrets she would learn, GOP sources said. (see: Bachmann sets another Iowa trip)

Republican leadership has also begun to use the Bachmann speech to turn its ire toward the media. The GOP is particularly peeved at CNN, which turned the Bachmann speech from a Web-based video to a national spectacle.

“She is one member of Congress,” a top GOP aide said, bemoaning the decision to air the speech prime time.

Republican Rep. Steve King, a close Bachmann ally from Iowa, also didn’t watch the address but reviewed the excerpts after he gave interviews in the Capitol. He fiercely defended the speech, saying the only way to “move a conservative agenda” is to have voices outside the leadership. (see: High-level Iowa meets for Bachmann)

And he thinks Republicans could have avoided all of this.

“They had their chance to listen before the leadership elections, and they chose to put their support where they did, and so now they have an opportunity to listen to this message last night, and they can always take a look at it and decide how much they want to consider what she has to say,” King said. “She’s going to have more affect in leadership talking to the press [than] in talking to leadership. In fact, I guarantee it.”

she is a complete idiot - most everything that comes out of her mouth is either a complete lie, or, reveals how absolutely stupid she is. so why would anyone care? she is a menace. she is o'donnell on steroids. so, again, why would anyone care?

From the article: ----Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican who is also a favorite of top conservatives nationwide, said the speech should’ve been done at a different time.

“To try to upend Paul Ryan was just wrong,” he said.----

Let's get the FACTS straight. Bachmann was ASKED by the Tea Party Express to give her response, and it originally was ONLY going to be on the internet. THEN CNN offered to show it on tv, and they agreed to do it AFTER Paul Ryan's official GOP response.

Two years ago, when Barack Obama became our President, unemployment was 7.8 percent and our national debt stood at what seemed like a staggering $10.6 trillion dollars.

We wondered whether the President would cut spending, reduce the deficit and implement real job-creating policies.

Unfortunately, the President’s strategy for recovery was to spend a trillion dollars on a failed stimulus program, fueled by borrowed money.

The White House promised us that all the spending would keep unemployment under 8 percent.

Not only did that plan fail to deliver, but within three months the national jobless rate spiked to 9.4 percent. And sadly, it hasn’t been lower for 20 straight months. While the government grew, we lost more than 2 million jobs.

Let me show you a chart. [CHART]

Here are unemployment rates over the past ten years. In October 2001, our national unemployment rate was at 5.3 percent. In 2008 it was at 6.6 percent. But, just eight months after President Obama promised lower unemployment, that rate spiked to a staggering 10.1 percent.

Today, unemployment is at 9.4 percent with about 400,000 new claims every week.

After the $700 billion bailout, the trillion-dollar stimulus, and the $410 billion spending bill with over 9,000 earmarks, many of you implored Washington to please stop spending money we don’t have.

But, instead of cutting, we saw an unprecedented explosion of government spending and debt, unlike anything we have seen in the history of our country.

[CHART]

Deficits were unacceptably high under President Bush, but they exploded under President Obama’s direction, growing the national debt by an astounding $3.1 trillion-dollars.

What did we buy?

Instead of a leaner, smarter government, we bought a bureaucracy that tells us which light bulbs to buy, and which will put 16,500 IRS agents in charge of policing President Obama’s healthcare bill.

ObamaCare mandates and penalties will force many job creators to stop offering health insurance altogether, unless yours is one of the more-than-222 privileged companies or unions that has received a government waiver.

In the end, unless we fully repeal ObamaCare, a nation that currently enjoys the world’s best healthcare may be forced to rely on government-run coverage that will have a devastating impact on our national debt for generations to come.

For two years President Obama made promises just like the ones we heard him make tonight. Yet still we have high unemployment, devalued housing prices and the cost of gasoline is skyrocketing.

Here are a few suggestions for fixing our economy:

The President could stop the EPA from imposing a job-destroying cap-and-trade system.

The President could support a Balanced Budget Amendment.

The President could agree to an energy policy that increases American energy production and reduces our dependence on foreign oil.

The President could also turn back some of the 132 regulations put in place in the last two years, many of which will cost our economy $100 million or more.

And, the President should repeal ObamaCare and support free market solutions like medical malpractice reform and allow all Americans to buy any healthcare policy they like anywhere in the United States.

We need to start making things again in this country, and we can do that by reducing the tax and regulatory burdens on job creators.

America will have the highest corporate tax rate in the world. Look no further to see why jobs are moving overseas.

But, thanks to you, there’s reason to hope that real spending cuts are coming. Last November you went to the polls and voted out big-spending politicians and you put in their place men and women with a commitment to follow the Constitution and cut the of government.

I believe that we are in the early days of a history-making turn.

Please know how important your calls, visits, and letters are to the maintenance of our liberties. Because of you, Congress responded and we are starting to undo the damage that’s been done.

We believe in lower taxes, a limited view of government and the exceptionalism of America. And I believe America is the indispensible nation.

Just the creation of this nation was a miracle. Who’s to say that we can’t see a miracle again?

The perilous battle that was fought in the pacific, at Iwo Jima, was a battle against all odds, and yet the image of the young G.I.s in the incursion against the Japanese immortalizes their victory. These six young men raising the flag came to symbolize all of America coming together to beat back a totalitarian aggressor.

Our current debt crisis we face today is different, but we still need all of us to pull together. We can do this.

And that’s the hope we hold tonight as Americans. We will push forward to reclaim the greatness of our country and to proclaim the liberty upon which we were founded.

And we will do so because we the people will never give up on this great nation.

Is the tent big enough for two Momma mooses? The media wants you to have to choose which one. Divide and conquer. Do I want the one with the prim librarian glasses or the madeover brunette that talks like Jesse Ventura? It's so hard to choose.

Is the tent big enough for two Momma mooses? The media wants you to have to choose which one. Divide and conquer. Do I want the one with the prim librarian glasses or the madeover brunette that talks like Jesse Ventura? It's so hard to choose.

Michele Bachmann is an AMAZING woman, and we're lucky to have people of her quality serving in an official capacity.

Bachmann's Response to State of the Union

As prepared for delivery:

Indeed she is, and we are. The left will continue to shoot the messenger of truth and facts ( who ever they may be ) that dont appeal to their agenda. She and Palin are both very aware of these unfortunate liberal shortcomings and thankfully keep reminding americans of them.

The MSM, Journo-Lists of Politico want a split in the GOP and that is not going to happen. The Teas will keep the Pubs honest and push them. Today, the House ended the McCain-Feingold fraud . It might not go anywhere but ...Pubs are doing what they pledged. Boehner then contacted with Lieberman to put vouchers back in DC schools. Dems just ended them. Nah, Politico, the libs are the ones who will find Michelle , Boehner, Mitch, Pence, DeMint will all get along to stop the Socialist and Liar in Chief. Your faux CIC who could not make a point on border or international security that made any sense. Readers know that Politico is simply another flacker for the DNC and the Bamster.

Michele Bachmann and true conservatives may not be enough to save the country from the spender obama and the irresponsible democrats and republicans. obama just doesn't get it we need to stop spending now! As it is said, "The borrower will be a servant to the lender" Five trillion added to the national debt under pelosi. They partied until the rent came due and then they were homeless.